Friday, November 8, 2013

‘No call against PAS, no apologies’

The DAP national chairman stood firm in his stand, saying that demands for an apology by 'so-called PAS leaders will not be met.

PETALING JAYA: DAP national chairman Karpal Singh has defended himself by stressing that he did not ask for the deregistration of Islamist party PAS.

“I did not ask for deregistration of PAS. Yes, I had stated that raced-based political parties and professional bodies should open their doors to other races which unfortunately included PAS.

“However, I was quick to add that PAS acknowledged the necessity of multiracialism by having a non-Muslims supporter’s wing,” he said in a statement today.

According to Bernama on Tuesday, Karpal had called for all race and religion-based political parties or associations to be deregistered or opened to everyone regardless of either criterion.

He was lashing out at the statement by Muslim Lawyers’ Association (MLA) president Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar for allegedly threatening the Bar Council if it supported The Herald in relation to the ban on using the word Allah.

His statement was hammered by PAS leaders who described it as unbecoming of a seasoned politician, failing to understand PAS’ ideology and the party itself, which is part of the opposition pact.

Karpal however today pointed out that he had in fact thrown PAS a life-line by publicly stating that PAS realised the necessity of multiracialism by having the non-Muslims PAS Supporters Congress (DHPP) unlike Umno, MCA and MIC.

“I did not bring PAS into the net I had cast against political parties and professional bodies set up along racial lines,” he said.

He thus stood firm, saying that demands for an apology by “so-called PAS leaders” will not be met.
The Bukit Gelugor MP then added that PAS should show its sincerity by opening its doors to the DHPP as full-fledged members in the party.

“Far from being deregistered, such a move will bring it into the fold of multiracial political parties in the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, elaborating on the call for MLA to be deregistered, he said: “I stand firmly over my call for deregistration of the Muslim Lawyers’ Association.”